February 24, 2017

Born on this date
Happy Birthday, Kavis Reed!

410 years ago
1607

Opera
L'Orfeo by Claudio Monteverdi, one of the first works recognized as an opera, received its première performance at the Ducal Palace at Mantua.

250 years ago
1767

Born on this date
Rama II. King of Siam, 1809-1824. King Rama II, born Phra Phutthaloetla Naphalai, succeeded his father Rama I, and had a mostly peaceful reign until his death from strangulation--with strong suspicions of poisoning--at the age of 57 on July 21, 1824. He was succeeded on the throne by his elder half-brother Nangkao.

100 years ago
1917

Diplomacy
U.S. ambassador to the United Kingdom Walter Hines Page was given the Zimmermann Telegram, in which Germany pledged to ensure the return of New Mexico, Texas, and Arizona to Mexico if Mexico declared war on the United States.

Politics and government
The opposition Liberals, led by Walter Foster, captured 27 of 48 seats in the Legislative Assembly to unseat the incumbent Conservative government of Premier James Alexander Murray in the New Brunswick provincial election.

75 years ago
1942

On the radio
Voice of America began broadcasting.

War
In what became known as the Battle of Los Angeles, a false alarm led to an anti-aircraft barrage that lasted into the early hours of February 25.

Law
An order-in-council passed under the Defence of Canada Regulations of the War Measures Act gave the Canadian government of Prime Minister Mackenzie King the power to intern all "persons of Japanese racial origin."

70 years ago
1947

Hit parade
U.S.A. Top 10 (Cash Box)
1 Open the Door, Richard!--Count Basie and his Orchestra
--The Three Flames
--"Dusty Fletcher
--Jack McVea and the All-Stars
2 The Old Lamp-Lighter--Sammy Kaye and his "Swing and Sway" Orchestra
--Kay Kyser and his Orchestra
--Hal Derwin
3 (I Love You) For Sentimental Reasons--King Cole Trio
--Eddy Howard and his Orchestra
--Charlie Spivak and his Orchestra
--Dinah Shore
4 Managua, Nicaragua--Freddy Martin and his Orchestra
--Guy Lombardo and his Royal Canadians
--Kay Kyser and his Orchestra
5 Ole Buttermilk Sky--Kay Kyser and his Orchestra
--Hoagy Carmichael
--Helen Carroll and the Satisfiers
--Paul Weston and his Orchestra with Matt Dennis
6 Huggin' and Chalkin'--Hoagy Carmichael
--Johnny Mercer
--Kay Kyser and his Orchestra
7 A Gal in Calico--Tex Beneke with the Glenn Miller Orchestra
--Bing Crosby with the Calico Kids
--Johnny Mercer
8 Anniversary Song--Al Jolson
--Guy Lombardo and his Royal Canadians
--Tex Beneke with the Glenn Miller Orchestra
--Dinah Shore
9 Guilty--Margaret Whiting
10 Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah--Sammy Kaye and his "Swing and Sway" Orchestra
--Johnny Mercer and the Pied Pipers

Singles entering the chart were Linda, with versions by Ray Noble and his Orchestra with Buddy Clark; and Charlie Spivak and his Orchestra (#16); That's Where I Came In, with versions by The Ink Spots and Jo Stafford (#19); That's Where I Came In (#19)/I Want to Thank Your Folks (#24) by Perry Como; I Want to Thank Your Folks by Frank Sinatra (#24, charting with the version by Perry Como); and Bless You, with versions by the Ink Spots; and Dick Jurgens and his Orchestra (#25).

On the radio
The New Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, starring Tom Conway and Nigel Bruce, on ABC
Tonight's episode: The Horseless Carriage

The Casebook of Gregory Hood, starring Elliott Lewis and Howard McNear, on MBS
Tonight`s episode: The Innocent Lady

60 years ago
1957

On television tonight
Alfred Hitchcock Presents, on CBS
Tonight's episode: The End of Indian Summer, starring Steve Forrest, Gladys Cooper, and James Gleason

50 years ago
1967

Hit parade
#1 single in New Zealand: I'm a Believer--The Monkees

Edmonton's Top 10 (CJCA)
1 Ruby Tuesday--The Rolling Stones (2nd week at #1)
2 Summer Wine--Nancy Sinatra with Lee Hazlewood
3 Georgy Girl--The Seekers
4 Green, Green Grass of Home--Tom Jones
5 Pushin' Too Hard--The Seeds
6 Kind of a Drag--The Buckinghams
7 The 59th Street Bridge Song (Feelin' Groovy)--Harpers Bizarre
8 Penny Lane/Strawberry Fields Forever--The Beatles
9 Canada--The Young Canada Singers
10 98.6-Keith
Pick hit of the week: Dedicated to the One I Love--The Mamas and the Papas
New this week: Animal Crackers--Gene Pitney
Nothin' Bad as Bein' Lonely--Johnny Sea
Detroit City--Tom Jones
Daddy's Little Girl--Al Martino
Who Do You You Love--The Woolies

At the movies
A ciascuno il suo (We Still Kill the Old Way), co-written and directed by Eli Petri, and starring Gian Maria Volonté, Irene Papas, and Gabriele Ferzetti, received its premiere screening in Rome.



30 years ago
1987

Space
Ian Shelton, an astronomer working at a University of Toronto observatory in Chile, identified a supernova at a distance of 163,000 light years, the closest supernova since 1604. It was estimated that the object had the brilliance of a billion suns, and that it was expanding at the rate of 9,300 miles per second. The exploding star appeared in the Great Magellanic Cloud, one of several small galaxies regarded as satellites of the Milky Way. It was later determined that the supernova had a companion object of 1/10 the brightness of the supernova and apparently related to it in some way.

25 years ago
1992

Hit parade
#1 single in Finland (Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland): Kolmen minuutin muna--Moogetmoogs (2nd week at #1)

Music
This blogger attended a concert by the Ottawa Symphony Orchestra at the National Arts Centre.

20 years ago
1997

Hit parade
Canada's Top 10 (RPM)
1 A Long December--Counting Crows
2 Don't Speak--No Doubt
3 Every Day is a Winding Road--Sheryl Crow
4 Just Another Day--John Mellencamp
5 Un-Break My Heart--Toni Braxton
6 Discotheque--U2
7 One Headlight--The Wallflowers
8 Dark Horse--Amanda Marshall
9 Wannabe--Spice Girls
10 Through Your Hands--Don Henley

Singles entering the chart were Falling in Love (Is Hard on the Knees) by Aerosmith (#76); Greedy Fly by Bush X (#91); Empty Cell by Rusty (#92); I'll Always Be Right There by Bryan Adams (#94); Resignation Superman by Big Head Todd and the Monsters (#95); and Lie to Me by Jonny Lang (#96).

10 years ago
2007

Died on this date
Bruce Bennett, 100. U.S. shot putter and actor. Mr. Bennett, born Herman Brix, won the silver medal in the men' shot put competition at the 1928 Summer Olympic Games in Amsterdam before pursuing an acting career. Using his real name, he played Tarzan in a serial in the mid-1930s. He began acting as Bruce Bennett in 1939, and appeared in supporting roles in numerous films and television programs through the 1960s.

Damien Nash, 24. U.S. football player. Mr. Nash was a running back at the University of Missouri before playing 3 games with the Tennessee Titans in 2005 and 3 with the Denver Broncos in 2006, amassing 98 yards rushing on 24 carries, and 55 yards on 7 pass receptions, with no touchdowns. Mr. Nash collapsed and died after participating in a charity basketball game in St. Louis.

Defense
Japan launched its fourth spy satellite, stepping up her ability to monitor potential threats such as North Korea.